She was born over 5 weeks early at 10:56am on Tuesday weighing in at 5 lb 5 oz and 18". She is doing really well - didn't even need to go under the oxygen hood, but stayed in the Special Care Unit for 3 days to get anti-biotics and monitor a blood issue (which thankfully she didn't have).

Story: I had been having what I thought were BH contractions all night Monday but I was terrified because I had my two toddlers at home with me and dh was out of town. I called my friend to pick me up, and dh in New York at 6am and he got on the next plane, arriving in Raleigh at 9:45am. I went to the hospital and was already fully dilated - but because I was so "relaxed", it took 3 people and a flashlight to confirm that there was no cervix there - I was apparently way too calm and pain-free to be so close to delivering : I told them that I needed my spinal for my c-section before my water broke because once my water breaks, I'm all about pushing! As they were wheeling me out of the triage room, dh came in and they tossed some scrubs at him and we went to the OR for the c-section. It went perfectly

BFing has gone great - I credit my quick milk supply to a persistent 23-month old who still liked a nibble even as late as last week! Carys is home with a bili blanket, but hopefully that will be removed by Monday. I've got a ton of pictrues, but I only have one uploaded to Photobucket.

Molly, Mama, living in the burbs with a beehive and chicken coop, herb student, gardener, crunchy and preggers with #3, due Nov 4th.The fruit of the spirit is: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,goodness, gentleness and self control.:

The Birth of Alder Rowan
Thursday, May 17th, 2007 at 1:06 PM
8 lbs 6 oz and 20 inches
Original due date: June 2nd

Alder is my second child and second home hypno-waterbirth, so I went into this birth with some idea of what I would experience. I woke at 6 AM on Thursday, May 17th to moderately uncomfortable menstrual cramps that were consistently 5 minutes apart. After 30 minutes of laying in bed and timing them, I decided to get up and make breakfast. By 7:15 or so I’d had breakfast and fiddled around the house, and the contractions were still the same (ranging from 4-6 minutes apart). I knew this was it. I was 37 weeks 5 days pregnant.

At 8 AM I called the midwife to tell her I thought this might be the day, but that we didn’t need her at the house yet. I put my headphones on and listened to my Hypnobabies Birth CD. By 9:30 AM, I guess I was getting snippy with my husband, so he called the midwife and asked her to come on over. He also called our doula and support friends to help with our daughter.

The midwife arrived at a little after 10 AM and a support friend shortly after. My husband began setting up the birth pool. Sometime around 10:45 AM, our doula showed up. Around 11 AM our second support friend showed up to help with Ava. Now, everyone was here. Meanwhile, my contractions were really intensifying. By noon, I was really struggling. I abandoned my relaxing music. Contractions were so much more intense than I remembered from my first birth – at least at this point in the labor. I was moaning through them by now. It seemed like I might be pretty far along (we never checked my dilation), but the morning had been so short…I didn’t think I could possibly be close to birthing.

Around 12:40 PM, I was hit by an unbelievable contraction – like nothing I could ever remember feeling. At the peak, I felt an uncontrollable urge to push. Thankfully, it was short and disappeared with the contraction, because I was still sitting on the toilet and didn’t want to have my baby there! I climbed in the birth tub and was instantly welcomed by warm peace. The pool was AWESOME! It reduced my discomfort immensely, and the next several contractions were more spaced out and much gentler. I settled into a kneeling position with my arms and head draped over the side of the soft blue tub. Keith kneeled with me, head-to-head, as we prepared to welcome our son.

At right around 1 PM, the full power of my contractions returned. At 1:03 PM, I asked if I could push (saying it more as warning that I was about to push than asking permission if I could push). After only a few gentle pushes of my own, my body took over. About one minute later, I felt my water break in a large bubble, and I could feel burning in my perineum. I was really ROARING with each intensive pushing wave. I could feel the baby descending fast. I could feel the twists and the turns he was making as he navigated my pelvic bones. I could feel he would be born any minute. He crowned for only a few seconds, and with one giant push his head was out. Very quickly I was hit with another push and his body popped out. It was 1:06 PM. I had pushed for just 3 minutes. Alder was here. Ava had watched in awe as her baby brother was born.

His face and body were perfect and he was covered in thick vernix. His cord was HUGE – the midwife said it was the fattest she’d ever seen. Within a few minutes, I began feeling some cramps and tried gently pushing to expel the placenta. Some clots came first. I latched Alder on, in hopes it would promote more cramping. Thankfully (since it took an hour with Ava’s birth), the placenta arrived about 20 minutes after Alder was born. Now that the placenta was out, my husband cut the cord. I climbed out of the tub shortly after that.

The next couple of hours were spent resting, cleaning up, and meeting our new son. Alder’s check-up was great. He weighed in at 8lbs 6 oz, despite being 16 days early. I did tear, and it was towards the front. I was given lidocaine to numb the area, but could still feel every single stitch...every pull of the thread…everything. The rest of my recovery has been smooth. Alder is a perfect baby, sleeping with relative ease and being very clear when he wants to feed. We are so happy to have him with us here.

Sage Rose was born 3 weeks early on May 21, 2007! We are recovering at home. She was born 6 lbs 8 oz & 18-3/4. She has a mild case of Erbs Palsy in her right shoulder/arm & some jaundice. The physical therapist she will make a full recovery within weeks or months.

I was having serious talks with him about having good timing because DH is going to have some great interviews in Vegas around my due date.
He was listening and came a little early!! We are both doing great,
and wow it really is easier the second time!!

Kiara Elizabeth Anne
born 2:27 am 6-5-07
due date 6-4-07
10 lbs 1 oz
20.5 inches
natural birth with DH, midwife, doula, family friend L&D nurse in hospital
Arrived at hospital in transition. 1 1/4 hrs of pushing she was born using a birth stool. No induction, no meds, no interventions (midwife barely got there on time ), no tears...my dream birth!!